Finally the sound of a back door slamming caught Sorin’s attention. He couldn’t see anything, but his acute sense of hearing told him the sound came from the back of the Stargel house. He straightened, refocusing on the task at hand.
A woman called, “Phillip, stay where I can see you.”
A boy’s voice responded. “Okay, Mama.”
A chill ran up Sorin’s spine. Surely Jonas would’ve warned him if Phillip Stargel was a child—if he knew. Sorin wasn’t sure how Jonas’s ability worked, exactly how much he saw or sensed where the conduits were concerned. The information the hunters were given varied from conduit to conduit, as if some info came through clearly and some didn’t. There hadn’t been any children among the conduits so far, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t possible.
If Stargel was a child then the lack of specific information about him on the Internet made some sense. “Low-life Warriors,” Sorin muttered as he made his way between the houses, toward a chain-link fence that surrounded a neat backyard. They knew what was going on, they knew they were putting the conduits’ lives in danger, and still, they were trying to come in through a kid. How desperate were they to put a child at risk this way?
Pretty damn desperate, given how Sorin and his hunters were currently kicking their asses.
Then again, what did they care, Sorin thought as he watched a boy maybe ten years old or so playing with a soccer ball, looking down, kicking the ball, then chasing after it. The Warriors didn’t give a damn about anything except their battles and their victories. They didn’t give a shit about those who gave them the ability to come back to this world.
Sorin watched the kid for several minutes. He wasn’t a natural athlete; his arms and legs were stubby and he ran with a clumsy gait, sometimes missed kicking the ball even when it was lying right in front of him. But he seemed to be having fun, so his lack of skill didn’t bother him.
A thought occurred to Sorin: maybe this was Phillip Stargel Junior, and his father, who was still inside the house, sleeping or watching the morning news or trying to deal with the confusion caused by the Warrior’s efforts at contact, was the one Sorin was looking for. That would be great. More trouble, because he’d have to wait even longer for the older Stargel to come out of the house, but … better.
Without making a sound Sorin leapt over the fence, landing gracefully and silently on the soft green grass. The other yards he could see from this vantage point were deserted at this time of the morning, so if he got the job done quickly he wouldn’t have to deal with any nosy neighbors. There was still the woman, Phillip’s mother, but she wouldn’t be a problem.
Maybe he could talk Phillip Junior into inviting him into the house. Wouldn’t that be a kick?
Sorin moved silently, quickly coming up behind the child who was focusing so intently on the soccer ball at his feet. “Phillip,” he said softly, and the kid turned around and looked up.
The kid had a flat, round face, and widely spaced, slanted blue eyes that regarded Sorin with open curiosity. Sorin caught his breath, slowly let it out. Now it was called Down syndrome, though he couldn’t remember when the terminology had changed. He had no experience with children like this, had no idea how much the kid would understand.
“Hello,” the kid said. “Who’re you?” His words were a little thick, oddly framed, but understandable. He should be alarmed to find a stranger in his backyard, but he wasn’t.
“My name is Sorin.”
“That’s a funny name.”
“It’s—” Sorin started to say it was Romanian, but stopped himself. “Yeah, it’s funny. I get kidded about it all the time.”
“My name is Phillip Anthony Stargel. This is my backyard. I have to go to school soon. I go to a special school. Where do you go to school?”
“I’m too old for school,” Sorin said, his voice calm though inside he was anything but. This was so wrong … “Is your father’s name Phillip, too?”
“Phillip Anthony Stargel,” the kid corrected. “That’s my name. My father’s name is Stephen Harrison Stargel. He doesn’t live here anymore. He lives in heaven with Jesus and Grandma Laverne.”
Sorin felt as if a boulder had settled in his gut. This was the conduit, the only Phillip Stargel at this address, perhaps the only blood relative of some bastard warrior desperate to find his way into this world. Fucking Warriors; didn’t they have any boundaries? Didn’t this one have a conscience?
“Why are you dressed like it’s winter?” Phillip asked. “It’s summer. I like summer. I don’t like the snow. You don’t need a hat and gloves in the summer. Why are you wearing gloves when it’s not cold? Won’t you sweat?”
The back door flew open and Phillip’s mother came hurrying out of the house, a cell phone in her hand and both fear and anger in her eyes. She hadn’t called for help yet, but she was prepared to if she found it necessary.
Sorin turned toward the woman. Even from this distance she was easy to glamour. She was exhausted and lonely, and any natural shields she might’ve had had been destroyed long ago. He caught her eye, filled her with ease and comfort, and commanded her to be still and quiet. She stopped where she was, relaxed, even smiled wanly. The hand that held the cell dropped to her side.
Sorin turned back to Phillip Stargel, the conduit he’d come to kill.
“You’re different, aren’t you?” the kid asked, and kicked the soccer ball. It was a pretty good kick, the best he’d made yet, and he crowed with delight as he ran after it. He positioned himself carefully, and kicked the ball toward Sorin. “You’re like my new friend, but not exactly like him. You have a funny light around your face like he does.”
The soccer ball rolled against Sorin’s boot. He looked down at it, gave it a very light kick back in Phillip’s direction. “You have a new friend?”
“Yeah.” Phillip tried to field the ball with his feet, missed, and sat down hard on the grass. He immediately scrambled up and with growing enthusiasm kicked the ball again. This time it went wide to the right, and Sorin shifted to intercept it. “He visits sometimes, but not for very long,” Phillip continued. “I want him to stay for a while, but he isn’t really here. He pretends to be here. Can you pretend to be somewhere you really aren’t? I think that’d be fun.”
“No, I can’t do that,” Sorin said, giving the ball another tap toward Phillip. This time the kid got in front of it, blocked its progress, and beamed with delight.
“He can’t really be here until I figure out what his name is. I wish he’d just tell me what his name is like you did, but it’s a game we play, just the two of us. I’m not even supposed to tell Mama, but sometimes I forget. She thinks he’s an imaginary friend, but he’s not really imaginary. He has a sword, like a pirate.”
Sorin had carried a sword in the past, but right now his only weapon was in his pocket, a knife with a razor-sharp six-inch blade. His plan had been to cut Phillip Stargel’s throat and move on, his fourth target in twelve hours down, the trip an unqualified success. It had been a good plan, a simple one; the simple ones were always the best, less chance for something to get fucked up.
Phillip looked toward his mother, and his smile faded. “Is Mama all right? She looks funny.”
“She’s just resting,” Sorin said. “She’s fine.”
That assurance was enough for the kid. “Good. I love my Mama. Isn’t she beautiful?” He was beaming again as he booted the ball toward Sorin.
Actually, no, she wasn’t; she was tired and worn and a little plain, but seen with love she was beautiful to Phillip. “Yeah,” said Sorin. “Your mother will always be beautiful.”
Sorin bent down and picked up the soccer ball, motioned for Phillip to come to him. The kid trooped over, a big grin on his face. Sorin went down on one knee, so he was more on a level with the kid, almost face-to-face. Phillip tilted his head as if he were listening to something, frowned, but didn’t move away. “My friend doesn’t like you very much,” he announced.
“Yeah, I know. The f
eeling is mutual.” Was it ever. If he ever got the chance, he’d gut that son of a bitch warrior.
“People should like each other. Maybe when he gets here we can all play soccer and you two can be friends. You can’t have too many friends. Mama will make us cookies, if I ask her to. I like chocolate chip.” Phillip reached out and laid a plump, soft hand on Sorin’s cheek. His slanted eyes knit together with concern. “You don’t have many friends, do you? I can help you make friends. I’m very good at making friends. Everybody loves me.” He smiled widely, flashing a crooked, unrestrained grin filled with joy.
Sorin looked away from that open, joyful grin. How long had it been since he’d felt a child’s loving touch on his face? The knife was heavy in his pocket, a rock weighing on his soul. Fuck this. Fuck everything. A black pit was yawning in front of him; he’d crossed a lot of black pits in his long lifetime, but not this time, not this one.
He gripped the kid by both arms, careful to keep his touch gentle. “Phillip, I want you to make me a promise.”
“Okay,” Phillip said agreeably, before he had any clue as to what the promise would be.
“I want you to stay in the house until your new friend can come to stay.” Sorin knew without a doubt that Regina would try to kill him if she realized what had happened. It all depended on Jonas, who would know that one of the New York conduits was still alive and active. Whether or not Jonas would tell her … that remained to be seen. But even Sorin had limits. He hadn’t known where those limits were until this moment. The decision was easy, so easy it came without him really having to think at all. “Don’t go to school, don’t play in the backyard. It’s very important that you not go outside until your new friend comes.”
“Not even to play soccer?” Phillip asked, concerned.
“Not even to play soccer.”
“But I need to go to school …”
“I’ll make sure your mother knows to keep you at home. Your friend will be able to come visit easier if you stay at home.” The woman was easy to glamour; he could tell her to stay in for a few more days, tell her to keep Phillip inside. A few days was likely as long as it would take, given how close the warrior was to coming through. He could glamour Phillip, too, he supposed, but it wasn’t necessary. Phillip’s brain was different. Even a simple glamour might do irreparable damage.
If Regina knew that a conduit he’d been sent to take out was still alive, she’d send someone else to do the job, someone who might not have even a modicum of scruples. But once the warrior arrived, there would be no need for Phillip to be killed. He’d be safe then, or as safe as any human would be when the world changed. Until that happened, he simply had to stay inside his home … he and his mother, because a hunter would have no scruples about grabbing his mother and using her to lure Phillip outside.
The kid’s eyes were filled with trust, complete innocence, and love—for his mother, his life, even for his new friends though one of them had come with the intent to kill him.
“It’s very important, Phillip Stargel,” Sorin said. “For you and for your mama.” If he had to meet one more warrior in order to keep this child safe, then so be it. “Both of you are to stay inside your home until your new friend arrives.”
“Do you know his name?” Phillip asked, his tone hopeful.
Sorin shook his head. “No, I don’t, but it will come to you soon. And when he gets here, can you give him a message for me?”
Now the kid looked doubtful. “I’ll try,” he said.
“Tell him he’s a—” Fucking lily-livered cowardly asshole. No, he couldn’t say that to Phillip. “Tell him I’ll be waiting for him.”
He handed the soccer ball to Phillip, then glamoured the kid’s mother into doing what he wanted. He even asked her if they had enough food to get by for a few days, without leaving the house. He saw the child and his mother back into the house, then walked away. Just before he leapt over the fence again, he looked toward the house and saw Phillip’s smiling face pressed to the window as he enthusiastically waved good-bye.
Sorin’s jaw was clenched as he strode back to his rental. If anyone ever found out what had happened here, his time as Regina’s right hand would be over. The rebels would oust him; hell, they’d do their best to kill him, though he’d give them a good fight if they tried. He’d thought he was willing to do anything in order to get what he wanted, what was right for his kind. He’d been certain any sacrifice was possible.
He’d been wrong.
CHAPTER
TWENTY
Jimmy and Kate couldn’t get much time alone over the next day or so. Funerals were time-consuming, and no one would leave them alone much. Friends came to sit and talk, offering the comfort of their presence, bringing still more food even though the Lessers’ refrigerator and freezer were bulging with food already. They ate until Jimmy thought he’d pop, trying to make a dent in the offerings, and still people brought food: cakes, pies, pot roasts, potato salad, anything and everything that could be thought of. He thought the strangest was orange Jell-O with broccoli chopped up in it; he made a mental note to stay far, far away from the woman who brought that particular dish.
The only time he and Kate had to talk was at night, after everyone had gone to bed, and even then they had to talk in whispers because the walls were thin. He was so tired, worn out by stress and long hours, that he couldn’t stay awake long, but he managed to ask some questions and get some answers, even though he didn’t like those answers. Kate was convinced that vampires had killed Jim Elliott, but Jimmy couldn’t get his mind around that. Maybe he could accept spirit guides and ghosts and mental powers, but vampires? They were monsters, fictional characters. The other beings Kate sometimes talked about were from beyond this world; vampires, if they existed, were very real and living in this one. That he had a hard time accepting. Maybe he simply didn’t want to accept it; hell, who would?
Thank goodness Kate didn’t try to sell the idea to anyone else. The knowledge that his dad had been murdered was hard enough to live with, but vampires? He didn’t want his girlfriend being dismissed as a nut-job on her first visit.
But if she was right …
When he had a moment alone, Jimmy spent some time in Mrs. Lesser’s basement, which had been tricked out as a home office slash recreation room. Using their computer, he did searches on vampires, blood-drained bodies, strange murders that might tie into his father’s. Most of what he found was total crap. That was the Internet for you, so he wasn’t surprised. There were references to movies, books, creepy goth clubs. He found one rambling blog written by someone who’d used the unimaginative pseudonym “Van Helsing.” Yeah, right. This Van Helsing went on and on about vampires living among us. The way the blog meandered from one unprovable and unlikely sentence to another made Jimmy less inclined to believe a single word.
He was staring at the computer screen, concentrating hard as he tried to make sense of what had happened and wishing that Kate had kept her suspicions to herself—though he’d never tell her that—when a voice whispered in his ear.
He’d heard the voice before, the night his dad died. He knew the tone, the timbre of it. What the voice said wasn’t a word though, not a word he recognized. It sounded like Roar, with a hard “K” sound at the end.
It was pretty damn bad when disembodied voices didn’t even make him jump anymore, when the light cast from a flash that shouldn’t be there didn’t even make him turn his head.
“Please tell me vampires are totally fiction,” Jimmy whispered.
There was a pause, then the same deep, ghostly voice said, “Cannot.”
Jimmy sighed. “Well, that’s just great.”
They were at the Willard, a hotel so expensive that Chloe’s eyes had almost bugged from her head when Luca took her there. For crying out loud, they were just a block from the White House! The Washington Monument was practically in front of the hotel. The luxury suite Luca had arranged for them was larger than her house, Chloe noted, and it was definitel
y better furnished and decorated. Who knew being a bloodsucker could be so lucrative? Then she laughed at her thought. They were in Washington, D.C., where bloodsuckers in thousand-dollar suits abounded. What better place for vampires?
The people here were very nice, but definitely odd, though she had to admit that people had a tendency to become odd when Luca was around. He’d checked them in using a fake ID and a very real credit card, gotten keycards, and then leaned forward to whisper something to the well-dressed desk clerk working the night shift. The clerk had quickly entered something into the computer and turned away, then when he’d turned back to the desk he’d seemed surprised to see Luca. “Ah, Miss Smith, I didn’t realize that you had a guest with you. Do you need another key?”
“Miss Smith,” Chloe muttered as they went to the elevator. “How … unimaginative.”
Luca winked at her, and pinched her bottom.
On the way up to the suite, they weren’t alone in the elevator. An elderly man got in at the next floor, greeted both Chloe and Luca in a friendly manner, then took a station at the front of the elevator as if he planned to spring forth as soon as the doors opened, though he definitely looked as if his springing days were over. But when the elevator had stopped at their floor and Luca and Chloe had stepped past the old man, he’d flinched, laughed, and said something to the effect that he hadn’t seen Luca get on the elevator.
Senile, maybe, she’d thought at the time.
The suite, with its huge oval living room, took her breath away. All she could think was, it was a damn good thing she’d brought a dress, because this definitely wasn’t a T-shirt kind of place. She wandered around, exploring, her eyes wide. “Why do we need a second bedroom?” she asked, then stopped in her tracks as a chill swept through her. Could Luca have gotten tired of her already? After all, this bonding thing didn’t promise a happily-ever-after, just a tied-together-forever deal.
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